An Unexpected Sleepover
by Kypriotha
Summary: Jump works hard to worm his way into Kel's bed (and heart), despite her best efforts to resist him. Written for Fief Goldenlake's Holiday Wishing Tree. For Tamari and the prompt "Kel, bonding with Jump".


Kel sat in her room late at night, studying.

"Studying" might have been a loose term. She had studied with the others earlier and was now just reading over her report for Sir Myles' class. Neal had checked it whilst Kel was helping the others with their mathematics, but Kel wanted to read through it one last time. She liked Sir Myles and didn't want to hand in work with any silly mistakes.

But the hour was late and Kel was tired and she found herself gazing out the window more often than at the paper. Behind the closed dressing room door, she could hear the quiet sounds of Lalasa readying herself for bed. The older girl moved like a mouse, even when in her own room. If the night hadn't been so quiet, Kel wouldn't have been able to hear her at all.

Kel sighed, pushing the report aside. She'd read through it in the morning. She was just too tired to concentrate properly. She wanted to go to bed, but knew she should do her nightly exercises first. She sighed again.

"Why did I decide to be a knight?" she asked the room at large, forgetting that the sparrows were all asleep at such a late hour.

"My lady? Did you need something?" Lalasa stuck her tousled head through the connecting door. Kel internally cursed herself for disturbing her maid. She still wasn't used to having to account for someone else in her own rooms.

"No, thank-you Lalasa. I was just trying to study and I forgot that I was alone."

The other girl had a slightly odd expression on her face. Kel frowned. She didn't have time for Lalasa's shy eccentricities tonight. She needed to do exercises and get to sleep.

"What?" Kel asked, perhaps a little more sharply than she'd intended. But for once, Lalasa didn't cringe away. She simply pointed at the window.

Kel turned. There, front paws resting against the window sill, tongue flopping out in a doggy grin, was Jump. He wagged his tail when Kel looked at him and, when she didn't immediately say anything, took it as an invitation and leapt into her room. He sat on the floor, looking between Kel and Lalasa, tail thumping in quiet excitement. Kel groaned and covered her face with her hands. She had already returned Jump to Daine once tonight. Yet here he was again, looking as pleased as the first day she met him, when he had successfully stolen those sausages. Peering between her fingers, she would have sworn Lalasa was hiding a smile – if she thought the older girl could smile.

"My lady, would you like me to ask my uncle to take Jump back to the Wildmage?" Lalasa asked timidly. Kel removed her face from her hands and stood up straight.

"No Lalasa, it's okay. It's too late to disturb anyone now. I'll take him back myself in the morning. You go back to bed." She tried to look stern and intimidating as she glared at Jump. "Don't you get comfy. It's only for tonight. Tomorrow, you're going straight back to Daine!"

Lalasa withdrew quietly to the dressing room. Jump immediately jumped on Kel's bed and, in direct contravention of Kel's previous statement, started making himself comfy. Kel glared at him again. She could tell she wasn't going to get her exercises done tonight. Throwing her hands in the air in an unusual outward display of frustration, she began readying herself for bed, pausing only to shove Jump off the bed onto the floor. He waited until she had finished tidying up and had settled herself in bed before jumping up again and arranging himself around her. Sleepy sparrows softly peeped their mild annoyance, before shifting themselves and going back to sleep.

Kel propped herself on one elbow, but was too tired to even glare at the dog. "Alright! You win! Just don't snore or push me out of bed in the middle of the night!"

She lay back down and Jump immediately snuggled into her side. Kel tried hard not to think about how nice it was to have a warm, furry animal to snuggle with in bed, like she did back at Mindelan. Just because she was used to sleeping with animals at home didn't mean she could have one in Corus.

Jump snuffled contentedly. Kel squeezed her eyes shut tightly and pulled back the hand that had begun idly stroking Jump's back. No. She would be strong. She had to be strong. Keeping Jump would only get both of them into trouble when he was found out and she couldn't risk that. Besides, she didn't owe Jump anything. Daine would help find him a new home and he would be happy and safe from palace cooks with large knives. Kel didn't need to save him. She didn't and she couldn't.

She held firm to her mental resolve as she drifted off to sleep, one traitorous hand resting on Jump's head.


End file.
